Wednesday, November 25, 2015

I was so very sad to hear that Sweet Pea Stamps was closing their doors. They are such a wonderful company ran by wonderful people! I have been a long time follower, and admirer of their stamps - both digi and rubber. It is because of them that I found out about so many different artists.

I bought my FIRST ever digi from them and have been in love with digital images ever since.

Someone very kind, from the Sweet Pea Stamps facebook page, has put together a farewell blog hop! Of course I had to join in, and while my projects aren't bran spanking new- they are some of FAVORITE digi's from their shop.

Thanks for stopping by today, be sure to hop along and leave some bloggie love to the rest of the people participating!

Well Samantha knows how to work a marker like nobody's business and Becca loves to get messy with mixed media. We both wanted to learn the other person's crafty secrets so we're going to ask one another a question on the last Thursday of the month. Becca will provide you with some amazing Mixed Media techniques and Samantha will show you some tips and tricks about coloring! We'll both provide our followers with a little tutorial, because if we have these questions - our followers might too!

So Becca's question to me this month was: "Do you need a blender pen, and what is it for?"

This is a tricky question, I would say you do not necessarily NEED a blender pen, but I highly recommend it as they do come in handy in certain situations! In my opinion there are three main uses for a blender pen.I should note that, despite it's name, it is NOT used for blending! If you attempt to blend alcohol markers with this pen you will end up with a muddled, de-saturated mess. Why? Blender pens are pretty much straight alcohol. So, when you attempt to blend other colors with the blender pen, you are actually "removing" the color. Onward to what you CAN actually do with this pen. 1. To color "white" things:

See how I left parts of her dress white? Well I used a combination of colors and used my lightest color to blend out the rest of the colors and then used my blender to go from the white area and just barely blend over the lightest color. In this case it was RV10, but in Spectrum Noir any of the "1's" to create the same effect. Unfortunately, I could not get a great picture to show you a before and after, so, don't take my word for it, TRY IT! :)

2. To create cool effects:

So, this doesn't happen often, for me at least, but there are those rare times where I can use this technique to create a neat effect on some clothing on an image. As you can see above you can do stripes, plaid, spots, dots, swirls, etc. I also found this by Jennifer Dove and thought it'd be neat to share it!

3. To rectify a mistake:There are those times when you accidentally go out the lines, and that's another handy reason to have a blender on hand. As I stated earlier, the blender pens "remove" color because it's basically pure alcohol. So the best way to do this (in my opinion) is to use the chisel nib and "push" the color back. Start with the chisel nib a little further back than your mistake and "drag" the color back to the line. Make sure you don't go INTO the image because it will remove that color too. The lighter the color, the easier and better results you get for "removing" the color. If you are trying to do a dark red or black you may not be able to get rid of the whole thing, but it will definitely lighten it up enough to where you barely notice it.

In this tutorial I am using Copics, but you can apply the techniques to ANY brand of marker!

**FINAL NOTE** - The blending cardstock you uses MATTERS! It makes a world of a difference in your coloring! My favorite is Heavenly White 80# Cardstock which is sold by The Paper Temptress! Not sure what kind of blending carstock is right for you? NO PROBLEM! She offers a "Blending Copic Sample Pack" Which allows you to test a variety of blending cardstocks so you can find YOUR favorite.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

So there's a great challenge going on over at Crafty Gals Corner! We have a challenge that begins every WEDNESDAY! More often then not there are MULTIPLE SPONSORS PER WEEK! So there's plenty of chances to win!

Prize: 3 Digital ImagesHere's a bit about our sponsor:"Heather Valentin is creative , award winning, modern-day fantasy and whimsical artist who has displayed a dynamic and vibrant energy while painting professionally for over 18 years.

She began to express herself creatively through movement at a very young age.

For many years she studied dance, being drawn to forms that allowed creative self expression, all the while feeling this constant urge to create with her hands. The canvas is now her dance floor where color, beauty and drama are expressed through her every pencil sketch and brush stroke. Her subjects vary from fairies, fantasy, mermaids, vampires, dragons, wildlife, abstract and more. She is one who is inspired in a single moment. Her dreams, moods and the the unfolding beauty of the world around her is what charts her dance for the day. She is most alive when sketching and painting, creating timeless pieces that reflect her heart and soul. Drawing breathes life into her soul- it enables her to reach out and touch lives. This gives her a place in the world one character and painting at a time.

Heather's artist portfolio has expanded to include such clients as Pepsi, Outback Steakhouse, Nabisco, Zephryhils and can now be found at Laguna Art, Third Stone Art Gallery and Sausalito Art Galleries, along with commercial and private collections across

the globe. "

I used an image from Lacy Sunshine - "Love Note Fairy" and Paper Temptress Paper to create this soft, and feminine card.

ALL papers are from The Paper Temptress, and this picture does not do it any justice whatsoever. The pink is a slight sparkle and shimmer to it, and it's just gorgeous! The pink and white ribbon are from there too!

Thanks for stopping by today! Go ahead and head on over to Crafty Gals Corner, and join in on our challenge! You have until Tuesday at 12:00pm to enter!

Monday, November 16, 2015

If you check out the Ching Chou Kuik FB Group, you'll see that I've shared an inspiration piece over there today as it is my turn on the DT rotation. The 2nd and 3rd Monday of every month you can see an inspirational piece from me!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

So there's a great challenge going on over at Crafty Gals Corner! We have a challenge that begins every WEDNESDAY! More often then not there are MULTIPLE SPONSORS PER WEEK! So there's plenty of chances to win!

Monday, November 9, 2015

If you check out the Ching Chou Kuik FB Group, you'll see that I've shared an inspiration piece over there today as it is my turn on the DT rotation. The 2nd and 3rd Monday of every month you can see an inspirational piece from me!

Well the holidays are right around the corner, and Christmas is my favorite season of them all! So with that in mind I created this cute little "winter" themed card. Even though here in Texas, we are still getting into the 90's!

About Me

My name is Samantha Aguilera. I was born in South Africa & raised in Texas. I am married to a wonderful man who is medically retired from the U.S.M.C. He was stationed on Camp Pendelton California, so we got to enjoy a few years in California. Oh my! was it beautiful! I really enjoy cooking, baking, cricut-ing, scrapbooking, cardmaking, painting, and anything that allows me to be creative. My e-mail address is: Samantha.h.aguilera@gmail.com! Let me know if I can help plan your next event with fun invitations, or party favors!